Kaine & Rubio Applaud Adoption of Their Amendment to the NDAA to Prevent Any U.S. President from Leaving NATO

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Marco Rubio (R-FL)—members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee—applauded the Senate’s vote to formally add their bipartisan bill to explicitly prohibit any President of the United States from withdrawing from NATO without Senate approval or an Act of Congress to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  The Senate is expected to pass the NDAA soon.

“Between Putin’s war in Ukraine and the accession of new members, NATO has never been stronger. With today’s vote, the Senate is another step closer to reaffirming the United States’ commitment to this essential alliance,” said Kaine. “I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for recognizing the importance of preventing any U.S. President from unilaterally deciding to leave NATO without congressional approval, and will keep working to get this legislation signed into law through this year’s NDAA.”

“Thankful my Senate colleagues adopted this amendment, which would ensure that current and future U.S. Presidents cannot leave NATO without rigorous debate and consideration by the U.S. Congress with the input of the American people,” said Rubio.

Kaine and Rubio’s amendment would require the advice and consent of the Senate or an Act of Congress before suspending, terminating, or withdrawing U.S. membership in NATO. If a U.S. President attempts to leave NATO without Senate approval or an Act of Congress, the bill prohibits any funding from being used to do so and also creates a mechanism for Congressional legal counsel to challenge the Administration in court.

As longtime advocates of the alliance, Kaine and Rubio voted to ratify protocols for Finland and Sweden to join NATO in August 2022.

Full text of the bipartisan bill is available here.

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